Slide-based presentations have been a mainstay in the office workplace for decades. Technologies have evolved from early carousel slide projectors and single-page transparency projectors to modern digital presentations using contemporary software such as PowerPoint®, Keynote®, Prezi®, Google Slides®, and the like.
Until recently, most presentations required at a person to remain tied to the desktop or laptop computer operating the presentation software to manually control the flow of the presentation (e.g., forwarding, pausing, or returning to a previous slide) with an input device (e.g., computer mouse, touch pad, arrow keys, etc.). This can detrimentally affect the quality and dynamics of a good presentation as the presenter is unable to move about and fully engage with the audience. Even in situations where a second person operates the software and the presenter is free to move about the room, constantly having to remind the operator to change slides can stifle continuity and may be distracting to viewers.
Newer developments include multi-function presentation devices (e.g., hand-held input devices) that can allow the presenter to perform simple functions like slide advancement, laser pointing, and long range. However, many of these devices have non-intuitive or confusing interfaces, cumbersome button arrangements, complicated programming protocols, or compatibility issues. Better hand-held input devices are needed.